50 Best American Restaurants in Knoxville

“I’ve eaten at JC Holdway many of times over the last 4 years with my last visit being earlier this week. The food has always been delicious but this last visit exceeded expectations. We were so excited to eat we didn’t even get pictures of our food.
Of course the food was fresh and local but all elements of every dish we ate were executed at such high levels it blew my wife and I away. From creativity in plating to salt levels and acidity. Our dinner was phenomenal. Thank you to Chef Lenn and the whole team in the kitchen and at front of house.

What we ate:
Smoked fish dip (ask for extra chips if you run out before your dip is gone)
Pork belly biscuits (must order)

Grilled shrimp (my favorite)
Carrots (could have eaten 2 orders of this)

Chicken (stole the show)
Pork chop (amazing flavor)

PB&J tarte (fun eating)“

“If you love biscuits and sausage gravy this is the place for you. Delicious!“

“Shout out to the bartender, Tara. You were absolutely phenomenal during our visit! Keep making those amazing White Russians!!“

“Fantastic girls getting it done! They should play Fail Army on tv,that’s funny.Not as many guys as you think watch sports at all.I know because I go there a lot.“

“One of my favorite places to eat anytime I am in Knoxville. Great vibes, food and drinks not to mention the best is Kayla. Always so polite, kind, attentive with an up beat attitude and smile on her face. Such a joy. But please bring back Tuscan Chicken 😀“

“From the moment we sat down, the service made the night feel special. Every member of the team was attentive, welcoming, and genuinely committed to making our experience exceptional. The food was out of this world — the steak was cooked perfectly, full of flavor, and incredibly tender. The chicken and dumplings were comfort at its finest, rich, hearty, and absolutely unforgettable. And the drinks… each one tasted like a little sip of heaven, balanced, refreshing, and crafted with real care. An all‑around fantastic dinner with incredible service, phenomenal dishes, and drinks that left us smiling. We’ll definitely be back.“

“They say you should never meet your heroes, but clearly they’ve never met Candy. I ordered a simple unsweet tea, macaroni, a burger slider… and she turned it into a five-star experience. Halfway through my meal, a flock of rogue pigeons somehow burst through the front door (long story), and one made a dive straight for my slider. In one fluid motion, Candy blocked it with a cocktail shaker, slid me to safety, and single-handedly negotiated peace with the birds. She refilled my tea before I even knew I was thirsty again. Her tea pouring technique should be studied in hospitality schools, and if she ever writes a memoir, I’ll be first in line… assuming she isn’t too busy saving the world. 5 stars, no notes“

“We needed a burger and a quick old fashioned! This place was packed and they still turned out our food and drinks fast! The well whiskey was good too. I should have gotten the whiskey flight! Buffalo trace , welled reserve, Blanton’s, and to finish it off with some Taylor! Man, that sounded like a great choice! This is place is on my Must revisit!“

“Our first visit for dinner won’t be the last! We ordered steak and burgers and were very very satisfied-great quality food! Charity, the manager, and Lily, our waitress, went above and beyond to provide amazing service. It was obvious that that is the standard to which they do business. We were very impressed and will definitely be back!“

“Ive passed this place a ton till my friend told me to try it and it did not disappoint food was great! Definitely want to try other items on menu now. Definitely recommend.“

“A+. The food was 5star plus!!!! Great server! Highly recommend!“

“Best breakfast, friendly staff!!“

“Been here several times and every visit has been exceptional! Will continue to eat here and the staff and owners are very helpful, nice, kind people. A must do for all.“

“We used to go to the Corryton location regularly until it closed. I went to the store in Halls tonight, and the sandwiches were as good as ever. Prices have pretty much remained the same. Great food!“

“Denise is was my bartender and server. She is one awesome person. Five star ⭐️“

“Fantastic food & ambiance every time.“

“Great burgers best burgers“

“A lot of fun! Attentive staff and good food. We loved the themed drinks and the pretzel bites with queso were great. The tokens are slightly less than average in terms of cost; we played 7 games for $5 in tokens, which is way better than places like Dave and Buster's.“

“Good sno balls on hot days“

“I loved this place. Intimate atmosphere, great drinks, wine and dinner menu. Enjoyed our meal very much.“

“Great food ! Great price! Great people! Nice , friendly! Feel at home!“

“My go-to for comfort food! All the daily specials are consistently delicious. The prices are on point, considering the generous portions (enough for two meals. I often call ahead to order a breakfast biscuit for carryout. The staff feels like family! Highly recommend! 5 stars“

“Delicious food, helpful staff. Had a great experience!“

“Delicious grits!!! And yummy spicy bloody marys!“

“I have been eating here for years and love their sandwhich selection! I have always had good service and really enjoy the atmosphere.“

“Great Food, great workers, friendly and fast too“

“Haven't had a bad meal and the staff is very nice! The burger and BBQ sandwiches are some of the best in town!“

“My husband & I moved up to Powell from Orlando in April. We really miss our old Smash Burger place, Cow and Cheese, so 7/4 we spent part of our day at the Mall and tried BR. He had a double jalapeño burger and I got a double mushroom & swiss. Absolutely delicious! We ended up going again today, 7/6 and added Bacon Cheese Ranch fries. Also excellent. They make everything to order but it comes out pretty quickly. We both highly recommend everyone try them. We will be back. They serve Coke products along with 2-3 different fruity beverages.“

“We ate here twice while we were in town, and we loved it! The servers, Amber and Daniel, were fantastic-nice, attentive and great personalities. We will definitely be back there!“

“Great place to eat. Good food, good service. Sweet katie is always great.“

“Aubrey's is a nice place to have a meal with friends. The food is pretty good.
My only complaint: they need to learn how to clean their wooden tables. They use the wrong cleaner and the tables are always sticky.
Aubrey's: please invest in some Murphys oil soap and clean your tables“

“The epitome of American food and culture. Went today with my daughter & oldest grandson. We tried a lil bit of several things. Hot Dawgs, burger, fries, onion rings, 'tater salad. It was a very positive experience. The atmosphere isn't much, but with quality food & service, they don't need it. Simple food done right !“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wow — Humble Hog blew us away! The food was absolutely amazing, and you can tell Ben really knows his craft. Everything was cooked to perfection and full of flavor. Alexis took great care of us — super friendly and attentive! You can feel the love and talent behind this place. We’ll definitely be back!“

“I have been eating here for years and love their sandwhich selection! I have always had good service and really enjoy the atmosphere.“

“Delicious, healthy food & cheery place to go!“

“The ORIGINAL!!! Character, great food, ALWAYS great!!!“

“Delicious, healthy food & cheery place to go!“

“We went here for the first time today. What a great restaurant. Food was fabulous and the service was outstanding. Will definitely be back soon.“

“My dad and I love going to afternoon teas and brunch. This place is the perfect mix of both! Food was delectable and their homemade orange spice tea blend is one of the best I have ever had! Highly recommend coming here for a pleasant, quaint dining experience.“

“Absolutely love this place.I have eat at a lot of buffets over the years and I can truthfully say thus is by far the best one hands down.The food is fresh, hot and very tasty. Everything from steak to chicken to fish to pinto beans and cornbread,Absolutely delicious. Fried chicken livers and about any kind of vegetable that you could want as well as baked potatos or baked sweet potatoes.All of the employees that you need to deal with for service are always friendly and polite.I would give it 10 out of 5 stars.Yes it's that good!!!“

“Great service and great food!! The staff and the manager make sure you enjoy your meal and your evening. We will definitely be back ?“

“Perfect little place where you CAN bring your kids.. I’m usually in there 3 or 4 nights out of the week where I play in pool tournaments and also APA pool league. And then I’ll bring my son in there on Sundays. Really is a good place to hang out with your family and friends.“

“Will NEVER eat there! Served my son a ROTTEN Oyster!!! Emily Acknowledged and apologized that the oyster was rotten!! I spoke to her after the incident and she was very apologetic and wanted to make it right!! Fast forward, asked for all the receipts for his medical care and then crickets!!! Weeks later, he received a $50- gift card, what a joke!! That is NO WAY to do business!!! BEWARE!!!!“

“We both ordered the pork chops. Our sides were the broccoli, the green beans and the fries with added cheese sauce. Our food was served in good time, was hot and tasty. The croissants you receive upon arrival are so delicious! Our server Caleb was attentive, and courteous. We had a wonderful meal! We highly recommend Cheddar's for good food, prices and vibe. This was our first visit, definitely not our last! Highly recommend!“

“This was our first time at Drake's and it's a BIG improvement over the previous restaurant in this space. Really good indoor/outdoor atmosphere with great drink and food menu. This is a GREAT alternative to waiting an hour for any restaurant at West Town Mall!“

“Stopped here while on a road trip and it did NOT disappoint. The food was absolutely delicious. Probably the best chili dog and burger we've ever had hands down. The restaurant staff were working their butts off it was so busy! The food was fast and hot, the service was also fast and super friendly. I wished we lived closer so we could eat here regularly. 5 stars for sure.“

“Waiters And waitresses are the best. Annie was our waitress and she was awesome .there is a new manager who was not very visible or engaging. Not impressed with her“

“the food was good it was just a little cold I had salmon and broccoli was cold“

“First time going and I loved the scallop appetizer and the pork belly! I wanted the lamb and need to go back just for the lamb since they were out. I had the elk chops and they were good! I mainly ordered it for my husband since he couldn't decide between the two dishes and he enjoyed both! Im not a big meat eater but i did love the carrots and scallop potatoes! The service wasnt the best but wasnt the worse. He forgot to give my husbands friend his debit card back and forgot to add lemon to my water and give us utensils..so a little off. They were full but not crowded. Noisy but we can still hear ourselves talk. A little stuffy as the ventilation could have been better but overall I want to go back! Definitely to try the lamb!“

“First place I went to eat when I came "home" to Knoxville!“